Intentional or not, the garage often becomes the dumping ground for everything and anything that has no other place to go. There are so many home and garden essentials — tools, lawn equipment, outdoor toys, and so on —that need to find a home and your garage is the most practical place. A most important reason to clean out your garage is safety. More than 75 percent of reported garage-related injuries result from either falling or stepping on an object left on the garage floor, two hazards that could be avoided with adequate lighting and proper organization. About 60% of garage users report that their garage is unorganized, and one out of three garages does not have sufficient lighting. Most families utilize the garage for storage, and many frequently keep potentially dangerous items in their garage that must be handled with care. Start out by emptying the space. Put it all on your driveway and sort into three piles – trash, donate, and keep. Once you got those sorted, go through the “keep” pile and sort into categories -- tools, outdoor stuff, sports items, recreational, etc. For example, you wouldn’t put a screwdriver together with your gardening items. Hand tools like screwdrivers, hammers, etc. would go together in one area of the garage, while all your gardening tools would go in another area and so on. There are a few items that never should be kept in your garage: paint, paper products, bedding, books, pet food, and propane 38
Spring-Summer 2021
tanks. Paper goods, bedding, and pet food will attract critters, so these should be stored in your home. The less for the critters to get into the better! Empty propane tanks and paint should be stored in a cool, well-ventilated space, and full propane tanks should be placed outside at least 10 feet away from anything flammable. There are many storage solutions for garages out there. Cabinets are a good one because you can store and conceal items that are unsightly, vulnerable to the elements, or may be dangerous to children. New cabinets for the garage make for a nice and clean environment but if that does not fit your budget, don’t hesitate to find used ones that will do the job. Lots of people remodel their kitchens and are more than happy to have someone take the old cabinets off their hands. As always, make sure poisonous products such as pesticides, lighter fluid, paint thinner, antifreeze, and turpentine have child-resistant caps, are clearly labeled and stored in a locked cabinet out of sight and reach of children. Shelving is always good because you can store labeled tubs on them. For items that are not used on a regular basis, such as holiday decorations, you will always be able to find what you need when the need arises. Of course, you should always anchor your cabinets and shelves to garage walls for stability.
